Category Archives: Challenges

The Weekend is HERE!

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Happy Saturday, y’all! Let the two days begin with no work and hopefully, NO stress! After the past several weeks, all I wanted to be able to do today is to sleep in a little. Unfortunately, two out of three of my cats had other ideas and ganged up on me to get me out of bed even earlier than I normally get up. I love all three of my cats, but my goodness, the smaller one and the older one can be a little too demanding and needy. I hope the rest of the day can be somewhat relaxing and maybe even be able to take a short nap!

On top of being forced to get up MUCH earlier than I had planned, I woke up with severe pain. I am sure the reason for the intense pain is that to destress and release frustrations, I cleaned the house. I vacuumed the entire house and got on my hands and knees to clean the bathroom and kitchen floor. What do you do to destress and release your frustrations? I do still have a few more things to do before the house is completely cleaned, but it will not involve the vacuum. 

I hope today you can do something special for yourself because we all deserve this. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain all day, so I will be on the couch with the cats and watching something on TV, which will probably be reruns of my favorite show. What does the rest of your weekend look like? Do you have anything planned or will you just relax and chill? It is the weekend, so you do not have to do anything you do not want to! I need to try doing as little as possible because on Monday I will be back to work and dealing with the Gilenya situation.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have a wonderful and relaxing day. Remember to think about yourself because YOU are the only person that can make your life better. Many people always put others’ needs ahead of their own, but we can take a stand and make our own needs a priority. I look forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as possible. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

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Medical Stresses

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The past several weeks have been filled with stress worrying about getting the medication I need for Multiple Sclerosis. I am not sure anymore which one is worse going without the medication, or the stress I have been under because of the medication. I know both could be bad, but the only one that could be detrimental to my health is stress. Plus, stress is terrible for everyone, but even more so for those with Multiple Sclerosis because stress and MS are not friends!  It is not like this is a medication for fun, it is necessary for my health.

With the Gilenya, I am not able to go without it for no more than 7 days, or I would be forced to start the long process again. Of course, since this medication has been helpful with keeping the MS at bay and semi-under control, I do not want to be without it for any length of time. This has been something that I have been on top of for weeks, and cannot understand why the doctor, who is supposed to care about her patients, has not been caring at all. Instead of doing what was needed, my doctor delayed this process for way too long.

I think it might be time to find a new doctor, one that cares about her patients! Doctors take a hypocritical oath. This oath requires a physician to swear upon a number of healing gods that he will uphold a number of professional ethical standards. I think my doctor might need a refresher on what this means because she seems to have forgotten! I do not think I am asking too much, I just want the medication that has been a lifesaver for me. All this does is make me miss my former doctor because he cared and would have already taken care of this.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you had a nice week, and you have a wonderful and safe weekend. For those of you who must deal with doctors, remember how important it is to stay on top of them to ensure your medical needs are met. It is awful how much we must advocate for ourselves when our doctors fail us. I look forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as possible. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Tuesday is progress

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! Surviving a Monday should make Tuesday seem easier, right? All I can say is, I sure as heck hope so because my day yesterday started off stressful. It was not anything that should have happened because I have been doing everything I needed to do regarding Gilenya, which is the medication I take for Multiple Sclerosis. I would not be as stressed if this medication was something affordable to a normal person, but this medication without the Gilenya Go Program would cost over $8,000 per month. This kind of price for a medication that is necessary to keep this unpredictable condition at bay is ludicrous.

After how stressful my week began, I am hoping today will be easier and far less stressful. Hopefully, my doctor’s office will get the things done they should have already done today and the medication I need will be shipped out to me. How was your day yesterday? I do hope your week started better than mine and that you have a great day today!

We made it through the hardest day of the week, so let’s hope the next few days go well for all of us. I would like to share a quote with y’all and hope that it helps you to view life in a better light. I really enjoyed this quote, so I hope it will bring a smile to your face. I think it is just a nice note to begin the second day of the week.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared and the quote offers you peace, and good thoughts for the day. I am looking forward to reading your comments and will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

My Thoughts

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There are so many things that take place in this world that I cannot understand. Trying to make sense of lunacy is pointless because there are no logical explanations or reasoning. The ridiculous levels of hatred and evil are baffling to me and leave me in fear of where the United States is heading. I have mentioned a few times that our government has failed all of us, which makes it seem that our country is broken. Is there a fix that can change things? Is there a way to make it so the United States can repair the damages that have occurred over the past numerous years? I am not sure anymore if the damage has been over years or decades. 

I am not blaming any specific political party because they both seem extremely weak. Why are there so many that believe they have the right to carry a gun and kill others? Why have there been so many school shootings and other senseless killings due to guns? Why has NO one done anything to fix these issues? Over the years, when there was a mass shooting in another country, the government in that country made changes and ended gun violence. Is it because in the United States, people misinterpret what the 2nd Amendment means? In part, I do think that is the case. There need to be changes made, so that people cannot make the 2nd Amendment read as they want it to read.

Happiness is free and available to everyone. Happiness is a choice that many do not make, which does not make sense. It is not difficult to do because even though everyone deals with challenges and hardships, life could always be much worse. Look at those out there that have lost loved ones, and struggle to find some type of normalcy in their life. Numerous people have been in an accident and possibility lost a limb, which must be difficult, but they do not accept defeat and keep going. Others may have a debilitating disease with no cure that cripples them, but they do what is necessary to keep living.

Why do so many decide that misery is easier, and they then try to bring everyone else down to their level? Why when something difficult happens due to an individual’s bad decisions, do they try to blame others and not accept responsibility? Is it difficult to accept when we make bad decisions and then must live with the consequences, absolutely, but it is not the end of the world, and we can learn from these decisions. Life is a journey, and we learn lessons through the journey, but it is what we do with these lessons that matter the most.

Why are people so scared when another person is different? Do you think if we were all the same, the world would be better or boring? I think it would be very boring. Why does anyone care who another person loves, even if that person is the same gender? Why is it so upsetting when a person is born one gender but decides they are the opposite gender? Do people really think anyone would make this kind of choice if it did not come from somewhere inside them? Everyone knows they will be judged and even discriminated against, so no one would make this choice if they did not believe it. I think it is the same when a person loves someone that is the same gender. I think people are born this way and why should we judge them for it? Love is love and we are all human beings with beating hearts and emotions!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have enjoyed your weekend and you have been able to recover from last week. I am aware that not everyone is going to agree with the things I have said in this post, but I would still like to read your comments. Our weekends are so short, but it is not over yet and we have a little bit longer to enjoy. As always, please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes! 

Always, Alyssa

31 Reasons

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Most likely many of you are aware that March is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness month. There are only 31 days to raise awareness of a disease that impacts and changes the lives of those living with the disease for the rest of their lives. Although I am sure there are more, I am going to share with you 31 reasons why I detest MS. Of course, I do not mean to sound negative, but this disease is anything but pleasant or easy to deal with. Please know these reasons are not in any specific order.

1. This disease is incurable and a lifelong condition.

2. Multiple Sclerosis is unpredictable and can strike at any time without any notice.

3. Neuropathy is something that can cause issues such as pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, and a pins and needles sensation.

4. Random and frequent headaches, which no one could ever get used to.

5. Numerous appointments with different doctors.

6. The expenses of medication are higher than they should be in the United States where free healthcare is not an option.

7. Vision changes can happen to anyone but seem more common with MS.

8. Multiple Sclerosis can be hard to control considering there are no answers to the causes.

9. Never-ending fears of losing mobility.

10. Constant daily changes.

11. Back Pain, which I have lived with for years in my lower to mid back.

12. Leg pain, mostly neuropathy. This can make walking challenging.

13. Heat intolerance, which living in the south can be miserable.

14. Weight gain due to the inability to exercise much because of the pain.

15. Sleeping troubles due to waking up with pain and not being able to fall back to sleep.

16. Frustrations! You can do everything the doctors recommend, but it does not appear to make a difference.

17. Memory issues.

18. Missing the feeling of being normal.

19. Adjusting to weather changes can be challenging. Too hot creates issues, but too cold can cause me to tense and cause even more pain.

20. Dealing with doctors that do not always listen or understand. Doctors may understand the disease as much as they can, but they have no idea what it is like to live with it. Studying and reading can only do so much.

21. Understanding what creates additional issues, such as food, lack of sleep, stress, etc.

22. Worrying about the possibility of progression. This has always been a huge concern for me.

23. No answers regarding the causes of the disease.

24. With the unpredictability, one needs to always have a backup plan. This may be easy, but it is not easy explaining to friends and family.

25. Trying to stay positive without any changes in medical progress.

26. Knowing the best medication for the disease can be different for each person.

27. MS Hug. This is a painful hug that no one would ever want!

28. Dizziness

29. Flareups and steroids can weaken teeth causing them to break easily.

30. Fatigue. It is difficult to always feel tired because you are unable to get enough sleep.

31. Trying to explain to others how one can appear normal but are always in pain.

I have always known that this disease can take away my mobility and it has terrified me since I was diagnosed. Of course, I am always aware that it could be worse because my form of the disease is minor in comparison. I used to believe this disease was a punishment for something I did wrong in life, but logically know that it is not. We all have negative moments in life and trying to push past those thoughts can be challenging, but also necessary. This disease does not discriminate and can happen to anyone.

It is always important to remember that no matter what we are dealing with in life, someone else is dealing with something worse. While I do detest MS, I do know that no of us will have to endure something that we cannot handle. Whether this is true or not, it does help me to keep moving forward. Plus, I did make my late grandfather a promise that I will never all this disease to get and keep me down.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and you are able to recuperate from last week because I know it was a long week. I hope you found what I have shared today interesting and I look forward to reading your comments. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Pick-Me-Up Thursday

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Happy Friday eve, y’all! How has your week been? I cannot believe it is already March. It seems like the first two months went by fast, and apparently, even Mother Nature is confused because these temperatures in the south are insane! I mean the temperatures seem more like early summer rather than what March temperatures should be. Maybe I am wrong, but it should never be close to 80 degrees at the end of February! As most of you already know, I have lived with Multiple Sclerosis for pretty much half of my life, and the heat makes things MUCH more intense! 

The good news for today is, tomorrow is Friday, and the weekend is almost here! Of course, even though the weekend is much closer, we do still have one final day to get through, and I think we could all use a little pick-me-up. I do hope you will find the quote that I am sharing as a mixture of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement! Sadly, even though it is 2023, many people feel it is their right to judge another person. This could never be further from the truth because no one has the right to judge anyone else. Instead of judging, or deciding who is right or, who is wrong, we should all try to lift others up. Maybe it will take more than this to fix a broken country that has failed all of us, but I think it would be a step in the right direction!

With the weekend being so close, do you have anything planned for the weekend? My husband has to work all weekend, so I think it is safe to say that my weekend will be quiet and relaxing as I do not have to work😊! I might try to go to Vision Works to see if I can find another pair of glasses. I do have a new prescription and while I am going to get contacts, I would prefer to not be without my glasses for two weeks while the lenses get changed. I do not like wearing my contacts all day and always wear glasses after work.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed the quote that I shared today and I look forward to reading your comments. I will respond to all comments as soon as possible. Whatever you have planned for the upcoming weekend, I hope you enjoy every moment of it. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Pick-Me-Up-Thursday

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Happy Friday Eve, y’all! I hope you have had a good week and you are looking forward to the weekend! Remember, just because it is the weekend, does not mean you must have plans because you can simply do nothing at all😊, which is exactly what I plan to do! It has been a long week and I believe we should not have to be forced to have a schedule. We already were forced to maintain a strict schedule all week.

The week is close to the end and I think we could all use a little pick-me-up. I hope you will find the quote that I am sharing helpful. Unfortunately, we all face random struggles and challenges in this life. It is important to not dwell on these and turn them into something positive. This is the reason for this quote today because I thought it was a nice reminder of what we have survived. No matter what we face in life or how difficult something may seem, look at what we have already made it through because everything we have witnessed and overcome has made us so much stronger!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you enjoyed the quote that I shared and I look forward to reading your comments. I will respond to all comments as quickly as I can. I hope you have a wonderful day and it is not a busy or long day for you. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Inspirational Wednesday

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Happy Wednesday or as I prefer to view it, happy halfway to the weekend! We have made it through the first and hardest part of the week, so the last part of the week will be easier😊. It is always challenging to get into the groove of the work week, especially after our weekends seem to be getting shorter. The good news is we have made it through the worst of it and can only expect things to get better and much easier. At least we are getting closer to the weekend most of us look forward to. Speaking of things getting easier and the weekend getting closer how has your week been?

Do you think it is more important to stay inspired or to inspire others? This is not a trick question, I promise😊! Honestly, I do not think it is possible to inspire others if we are not inspired ourselves. How could we ever expect to inspire anyone else, if something or someone does not inspire us to do more? This is the reason why I am sharing the quote I am today. I hope you find it as inspiring and positive as I did and that it helps get you through one more day of this week. I think it is important in life to have something that is inspirational and it does not matter what it is because it is only about what it means to YOU!

This week has not been too bad, so far at least. Yesterday, I had my monthly one on one meeting with my supervisor, which like always, went well. I really enjoy working with my supervisor because she is genuinely a kind and caring person! This is so uncommon in this world, so I consider myself lucky to work with her. Most people that I work with are nice and some I honestly prefer to avoid, I guess that is another positive thing about working from home, I never have to be face to face with those I try to avoid😊!

Thank you for visiting my site today! I hope you enjoyed what I shared today and I am looking forward to reading your comments. I will be responding to all your comments as quickly as I can. I also hope you had a chance to visit my family friend’s amazing website where he showcases some of his brilliant work. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Grudges and Forgiveness

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Letting go of anger, bitterness, resentment, and grudges is easier said than done, especially when you have been holding onto it for too long. Unfortunately, many of us have been hurt by the words or actions of another during our lives. Maybe this was inflicted by a parent who disappointed or criticized you multiple times or a friend or partner that deceived you, or possibly you encountered a traumatic experience, such as a form of abuse during your life. Deep wounds from the past can create these negative emotions and so much more, but we do not have to be held prisoner by them.

The fact is that holding onto and dwelling on the pain will only cause you more heartache. When you can embrace forgiveness, you will feel peace and less pain. Embracing forgiveness may lead you to physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

What does forgiveness mean? The actions that caused you emotional pain may always stay with you, but forgiveness can release and reduce the grip the resentment has on your heart and soul. Forgiveness can give you freedom from the control of the one that hurt you, In time, forgiveness may even provide you with a sense of understanding, empathy, and compassion for the person that hurt you.

When we are hurt by a person that we love and trust, it can be easy to hold a grudge. The feelings that are involved with this grudge can steam from anger, sadness, confusion, resentment, and hostility. Allowing these negative emotions to take hold and derail the positive thoughts can cause you to become overwhelmed with bitterness.

Holding onto a grudge can be toxic and have several negative effects on our lives. A few negative effects a grudge can impact our lives with may include:

~Carry anger and bitterness into new relationships

~You may become so consumed with your anger, you are unable to enjoy your life

~You may experience depression, irritability, and anxiety

~You forfeit valuable and rewarding connections with others

Letting go of a grudge you have carried and moving into a state of forgiveness is a commitment that takes practice and time but may offer you several benefits. Forgiving someone for their wrongdoings does not excuse their behaviors nor does it mean you will forget what happened, but this is necessary for your mental well-being.

A few benefits to forgiveness may include:

1. Building and maintaining healthier relationships

2. Improve our overall mental health

3. Reduce anxiety, stress, and hostility

4. Lessen symptoms of depression

5. Lower blood pressure

6. Maintain a strong immune system

7. Enhance self-esteem

8. Improve heart health

I hope you found this post helpful. I do try to not hold onto grudges, but there have been several times when I have failed miserably. It is not healthy and will only hinder you in life holding onto grudges and resentment whereas letting go and allowing for forgiveness will only free you from the negativity. I do not think it would cause anything negative if we try forgiving those that have wronged us. Again, this does not mean we will forget what happened, but it can allow us to be less burdened with negative emotions!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend doing what brings you the most joy and peace. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as I can. There are many people that I can forgive for what they did wrong, but there is only ONE person that no matter how hard I try, I will NEVER forgive. Even though I am unable to find forgiveness in my heart, I do not allow this person’s wrongdoings to prevent my happiness. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes! 

Always, Alyssa

Enjoy your Saturday

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Happy Saturday, y’all😊! It is SO nice to have a weekend because as I said in my post yesterday, this week has been extremely grueling! I do believe some of the reasons the week felt so long is because of the headache I experienced for three days. Of course, this is nothing new as I have dealt with them since I was a small child. No matter how many years I have had mean headaches, they never get easier and I never get used to them. There is a small part of me that thinks the headaches continue to occur because my eyes are getting worse and I do have an eye appointment this afternoon, so hopefully, it is my eyes and nothing else.

Of all the issues I deal with living with Multiple Sclerosis, many of them are manageable. Just because they are manageable, does not mean that are easy or always tolerable. My legs end up bothering me more at night or when it rains. This just seems a common trend. There have been a few times when they bothered me bad enough to cause pain when sitting, needless to say much more painful than it is to stand or walk. Unfortunately, there is nothing that helps. I used to think the heating pad or a hot bath helped, but it makes it more intense. Since nothing helps, it certainly does NO good to dwell on it or even cry about it.

What is your favorite part of the weekend? I mean the obvious is there are no work or alarm clocks😊! I am just wondering if there are any other reasons why you love the weekend. Of course, the weekends are short, so it is important to make the most of every moment. Although I rarely sleep past my normal 7:00 AM time, I do still love knowing I do not have to get up and if I want, I can take a nap! I love knowing I have two days that I am able to do what I want, and I am not being forced to do something that I do not want to do.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I am sure you are just as happy as I am that the week is over and we can enjoy the weekend, but I hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend! I hope you enjoyed what I have shared today and I look forward to reading your comments. I will respond to all comments as quickly as I can. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa